AN 18-YEAR-OLD Cork man who fatally stabbed his uncle following a row over drugs money has been jailed for six years at the Central Criminal Court.
Christopher Ruby inflicted a stab wound that pierced the heart of Shannon Ruby (30) at Ard Na Greine, Station Road, Blarney, Cork on September 26th, 2009.
Prior to passing sentence yesterday, Mr Justice Paul Carney revealed that he had received a letter in the post that had been “designed to influence my decision” and he described it as a matter of “serious contempt”.
The letter’s content was not revealed in court, but it emerged that it had been written by Lesley Ruby, a sister of the deceased.
Addressing the court later, solicitor Frank Buttimer apologised to Judge Carney for the letter on behalf of its author. He said that Ms Ruby now realised her actions had been misguided.
“She wishes to apologise to the court for the fact that she sent the letter. It was not her intention to be contentious in any way,” Mr Buttimer said.
Sentencing Ruby to six years in prison, Judge Carney referred to a victim impact statement from the Ruby family that stated they would prefer to see Christopher remain drug free and continue counselling.
He said that while he could not give effect to their wishes, the sentence handed down would have been “significantly more substantial” had that plea not been made.
In her victim impact statement, the deceased’s mother Ursula told the court that Christopher was like a son to her.
Judge Carney said that the case was among a “depressingly high” number of knife killings, perpetrated “largely by young people”.
The court had heard how the victim had left the house in which the row occurred and went to a house two doors away. Ruby had taken a flick-knife from his bedside locker, followed his uncle to the house and stabbed him.
Handing down a six-year sentence, Judge Carney said that he had taken account of Ruby’s guilty plea and his young age. “Regrettably he belongs to the age category that tends to commit this crime,” the judge said.
Leave to appeal was refused.